Cannabis Cultivar Chronicles: What's a Cultivar?

 

STIIIZY: Is a cultivar a strain?

The world of plants creates a green carpet embroidered with a wild array of color and form. Imagine this plant kingdom as a grand ballroom, buzzing with a diverse array of species, each radiating its unique charm. Among them, a distinguished set of individuals takes center stage: the cultivars. What is a cannabis cultivar you might ask? It is a more appropriate term than the word "strain" when referring to the plants. Think of these as the blue-bloods of the plant world, the seed source if you will, selectively bred for their desirable characteristics and genetic code meticulously curated to enhance specific traits.

The Strain

As we steer our exploration towards cannabis cultivars, we encounter a rather unusual linguistic glitch - the term 'strain.' A misfit in botanical terminology, 'strain' finds its true home in the world of microbiology, referring to genetic variants of bacteria, viruses, or fungi. However, it's been adopted and adapted by the cannabis industry and mainstream discourse, giving 'strain' a new lease of life. There are hundreds of cultivated plants that have resulted from cross-breeding, both by nature and new age genetic manipulations from growers across the world. Some distinguishing characteristics offer different effects, flavor profiles, resin production, and cannabinoid profiles depending on the crop plants.

The Difference Between Cultivated Plants: Hybrid, Indica, and Sativa

With numerous strains crossed for years, growers are able to produce plants with an even or uneven amount of either indica, sativa, or hybrid. If you're wondering how you're able to tell the different cultivars in short story:

  • Indica

    • Appearance

      • It's overall plant appearance is fat and bushy while its leaves are wide.

    • Height

      • Shorter in height and won't reach above 6 feet height.

    • Effects

      • Calming, sedating, and relaxing.

  • Sativa

    • APPEARANCE

      • It's plant species is skinny and lanky while its leaves are thin and long.

    • Height

      • Taller in height and can reach above 8 feet. Sometimes neighbors have a sativa plant that can also be known as backyard plants.

    • Effects

      • Energizing, uplifting, and giggly.

  • Hybrid

    • Appearance, height, and effects can have a different variety depending on the type of indica or sativa dominance.

Where Did We Find Sativa: Entering Cannabis Classification

Tracing the roots of cannabis sativa, it takes us on a riveting journey through the channels of botanical history. This contentious species has been stirring debates and intriguing minds since the dawn of the 16th century. This herbaceous flowering plant's tale begins with the domesticated hemp founded in Eastern Asia. Now its cosmopolitan distribution has been widespread due to its esteemed robust fibers, seed oil, medicinal and recreational purposes, and intoxicating kin. Each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use.

The healing components of sativa have been known to have energizing and uplifting affects. They are helpful in treating depression, fatigue, and stress. When looking for a specific strain to help uplift the mind and body consider looking for these natural, medicinal terpenes or ask your budtender for help:

  • Pinene - Cedar, pine, and other evergreen trees
  • Myrcene - Hops, lemongrass, citrus, verbena, and bay
  • Limonene - Orange, grapefruit, and lemon

  • Linalool - Guava, peach, plum, pineapple, and passionfruit

Some original sativa cultivars that STIIIZY is well known for in their line of OG pods are:

  • Blue Dream

  • Orange Sunset

  • Premium Jack

  • Sour Diesel 

  • Sour Tangie

  • Strawberry Cough

If none of these strains are to be found they can also be used as keywords when searching for cultivar sativa dominants.

Adding to the Natural Cultivar Dominance: Indica

After finding sativa, the exploration of the cannabis plant takes a dramatic turn when French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck adds an unexpected twist. This new plant wasn’t simply a species, he suggested, but a genus housing two distinct species. Its intoxicating counterpart, cannabis indica, reshaped the classification of cannabis and the course of botanical taxonomy after being discovered in Southeast Asia to western India and even leading into parts of Africa.

Touring the countries, the biologist took notice of the plants physical difference as shorter and wider compared to its sister sativa. Indica is typically known for inducing relaxing body highs that is usually recommended for nighttime use. The cannabidiol components that have been found help with reducing pain or anxiety, treating skin conditions, an anti-inflammatory, sleep improvement, blocking cancer cells, improved appetite, and also reducing seizure frequency. Terpenes that can be found to help with this compound are:

  • Linalool - Lavender, mint, and rosewood
  • Limonene - Lemons, limes, grapefruits, and oranges
  • Myrcene - Mangos, cardamom, and berries

The line of indica OG cultivar pods found in STIIIZY are:

  • Biscotti

  • Hardcore OG

  • King Louis XIII 

  • OG Kush

  • Purple Punch

  • SFV OG

  • Skywalker OG

  • Watermelon Z

  • White Raspberry

The Merge Between Sativa and Indica: Hybrid

Just when our taxonomic puzzle seems near completion, the plot thickens. Enter Russian botanist Dmitri Janischevsky, with a proposal for a third cannabis species - Cannabis ruderalis. This view, however, is not universal.

In contrast to Schultes's model, Canadian botanist Ernest Small and American botanist Arthur Cronquist advocate a different perspective, presenting cannabis as one species (C. sativa L.) but with two subspecies: sativa and indica. Despite this, the tri-species model finds its supporters.

In the hushed chambers of plant breeding, the art of hybridization is akin to a symphony. A hybrid represents the offspring of cross-breeding between different plant species, subspecies, or cultivars. In the context of cannabis, a hybrid is the love child of our two main protagonists, cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. The combination of the two plants allowed breeders to play with the genetic modification as some could be more sativa-dominant or indica-dominant.

Unlocking the STIIIZY vault, the cross of the cultivated variety is classified in the third section of the OG pods:

  • Apple Fritter

  • Birthday Cake 

  • Blue Burst 

  • Do-Si-Dos

  • Gelato

  • Granddaddy Purp

  • Pineapple Express

  • Pineapple Runtz

  • Strawnana

Most modern cannabis cultivars are now hybrids, reflecting a harmonious blend of the parent plant's traits. The genetic composition of these hybrids is often represented as a ratio, a delicate balance revealing the genetic influence of sativa and indica in the resulting cultivar. Such plants can now be found as a trifecta of plant types.

STIIIZY CultivationDive into STIIIZY's Diverse Spectrum of Cultivation

If you've visited our first store opening in Downtown Los Angeles, you've probably caught a glance of the building next door right across the hall known as our cultivation center. STIIIZY is one of the first known brands that has cultivated an array of strains to start a process as "seed to sale." Our cultivars unfurl a captivating exhibit, each room radiating a unique allure of strain variety with a different stage in its life.

There we house our line of original strains, found above, that have come in our infamous "OG" pods. Each distinguished by its distinctive characteristics, the cultivated plant is celebrated for their individuality in over 30+ STIIIZY stores. Our best sellers have been know to be found in not only California, but across multiple retailers Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Illinois.

Embarking on the Expansion of a Botanical Voyage

The realm of cultivars is a vast and diverse tapestry, each thread woven with stories of selective breeding, human ingenuity, and nature's bounty. STIIIZY cultivators have placed their mark in the industry by their distinctive characteristics and narratives to which they contribute to the lush fabric of the plant kingdom.

Here at STIIIZY, we have collected many known cultivars that have voyaged with us into the world of cannabis competitions, inviting us to appreciate the intricate art and meticulous science of selective breeding and plant taxonomy. Cannabis connoisseurs seeking unique strains and judging who takes home the award for their distinctive flavors. Our cultivars have a timeless tale of winning multiple awards at High Times, Kushstock, Chalice, and more competitions.

Celebrating the wins of our team, we share the one of a kind strain with the rest of the cannabis community with limited edition products only available at select retails sometimes on the holidays as well.

The Ongoing Odyssey

How does one keep up with so many strains? Every chapter heralds a new discovery and every page turn reveals a fresh perspective. STIIIZY has collected their own personal strain library that is shared through newsletters when signed up. If you haven't joined the bandwagon, it's never too late to join!

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